A special dengue eradication programme has been launched today (5) across 23 high-risk areas in the Western Province. The campaign covers selected areas in the Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts and is being coordinated by the Clean Sri Lanka Programme with the support of health authorities, the tri-forces, police and other state agencies.

Special dengue eradication drive launched across Western Province

Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya stated that the government is committed to equipping children with the knowledge and modern technology needed to realise their potential. Speaking at Balangoda Vidyaloka Central College, she noted that the new education reforms scheduled to begin in 2027 will focus on practical, skills-based learning and vocational education.

Govt. committed to equipping children with technology and skills - PM

The Department of Meteorology has issued an Amber advisory for strong winds affecting the Central, Northern and North Central provinces, and the Ratnapura, Hambantota and Trincomalee districts. The advisory is in effect from 11.00 a.m. today (05) until 11.00 a.m. tomorrow (06), with winds of 40–50 km/h expected at times.

Amber advisory issued for strong winds

<ul><li>Another 400,000 Aswesuma families to exit scheme in 2027</li><li>Govt. says phased reduction will continue under IMF-linked prog.</li><li>Economist warns many vulnerable households yet to recover from crisis</li></ul> The Government expects the gradual reduction of Aswesuma beneficiaries to continue beyond this year, with another 400,000 families set to be removed from the welfare programme in 2027.The move is part of a phased plan linked to Sri Lanka’s economic recovery and commitments under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme. Economists, however, warn that many vulnerable households are yet to recover from the economic crisis.Deputy Minister of Rural Development, Social Security, and Community Empowerment Wasantha Piyathissa told The Sunday Morning that while around 400,000 families were due to exit the programme by the end of this year under the ongoing review, a similar reduction was planned annually, leaving only the extremely poor category eligible for benefits by the end of 2028.However, he stated that the review process was still underway and that the final list of beneficiaries had not been confirmed yet.“We are currently conducting a review. In about another week, we will know the exact situation. The agreement originally scheduled certain categories to be removed from Aswesuma earlier, but that has been slightly delayed. However, a significant group is scheduled to be removed by 31 December, as per the agreement,” he said.According to Piyathissa, the 400,000 families selected for removal belong to the highest-income category among the four groups currently receiving Aswesuma benefits.“We have categorised beneficiaries as extremely poor, poor, transitional, and another category. Out of these four groups, the approximately 400,000 families with the highest income levels are the ones being removed first,” he explained.He said that beneficiary classifications were determined using 21 assessment criteria, including household income, and that the selected category would be removed from the programme as a single group.Asked whether those removed from Aswesuma would be transferred to another welfare scheme, Piyathissa said there were no such plans.“They can reapply if they believe they are still entitled to Aswesuma. The reason some are being removed is because they are no longer eligible based on their income status,” he said.The Deputy Minister added that the Government expected the number of beneficiaries to continue declining over the coming years.“Another 400,000 will be removed next year and every year thereafter. According to the IMF conditions, by the end of 2028, everyone except those in the extremely poor category must be removed,” he said.He maintained that the Government’s long-term objective was not simply to reduce welfare recipients but to improve livelihoods through poverty alleviation programmes.“As a ministry and as a Government, our objective is to empower extremely poor and low-income families. We have already launched several programmes and believe that by 2030 we will be able to lift a significant number of people out of poverty,” he said.However, University of Peradeniya Department of Economics and Statistics Senior Professor Ananda Jayawickreme questioned whether the current economic climate justified such a significant reduction in welfare recipients, noting that many households continued to struggle despite improvements in macroeconomic indicators.“Since the 2022 economic crisis, conditions for many households have actually worsened. People are facing higher prices while incomes have remained stagnant, and some sources of income have disappeared altogether. Recent UNDP and World Bank reports also show that more than 33% of the population remains in poverty. That indicates people are not recovering,” he said.Prof. Jayawickreme said that he supported removing beneficiaries who had never been eligible for the programme but cautioned against reducing the welfare scheme solely to satisfy IMF targets.“If the Government can clearly identify those who were never eligible because their income levels were higher, then I fully support removing them and rationalising the programme. But if people are being removed simply to satisfy IMF conditions, then we are in trouble,” he said.He warned that asking affected families to reapply could leave genuinely vulnerable households without financial assistance for months while their applications were reassessed.“The only justification being given is that they can reapply. But reapplications take time, at least six months. How are those people expected to survive until then?” he asked.Prof. Jayawickreme added that although Sri Lanka’s economy had stabilised since the height of the crisis, the benefits of that recovery had yet to reach many low-income households. Given those circumstances, he questioned whether this was the appropriate time to remove 400,000 families from the Aswesuma programme.Launched in 2023, Aswesuma initially covered nearly 1.6 million beneficiary households across four income categories.

Social welfare: Government plans Aswesuma cuts till ’28

<ul><li>Whistleblower protection needs proper system for practical rollout&nbsp;</li><li>CIABOC being restructured with focus on improving efficiency, public access</li><li>CIABOC-ACRC MOU on cooperation under consideration</li><li>SL’s AIA developed based on Korea’s experience with UNDP support</li></ul> Global efforts on anti-corruption need to be practical and consistent to deliver implementable and tailored solutions, where institutions can provide the public with results which help build trust in the governance structure, Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) Director General Ranga Dissanayake said on Friday (3) in Seoul, South Korea.He also highlighted the need for practical mechanisms to translate legislation into practical applications for effective anti-corruption efforts.The Director General further called for cooperation on building robust and simple anti-corruption systems that foster a culture of prevention and compliance and are practical to implement by enforcement authorities.&nbsp;Dissanayake made these remarks while addressing a high-level panel on ‘Reflections and Recommendations’ during the International Anti-Corruption Forum, held in South Korea, jointly organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and South Korea’s Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC).&nbsp;He said that Sri Lanka’s Anti-Corruption Initiative Assessment (AIA) was based on the ACRC model, which has been implemented in South Korea.He opined that whistleblower protection was difficult to roll out in Sri Lanka due to practical realities. While there is strong legislation in place for it, Sri Lanka wants to study international best practices and the experience from South Korea to fine-tune its delivery.When asked about the robustness of whistleblower protection in Sri Lanka, Dissanayake told The Sunday Morning: “We are fully equipped with the legislation, but we want a proper system for implementation.”He cited training provided by the ACRC for 10 CIABOC officials as a key capacity-building measure for the watchdog, pointing out that the training enabled CIABOC staff to clearly identify how corruption prevention measures could be implemented.&nbsp;Dissanayake added that the cooperation between the ACRC, UNDP, and CIABOC had been focused on the practical implications of anti-corruption measures.&nbsp;The CIABOC and the ACRC are currently exploring the possibility of entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation.The CIABOC Director General thanked the UNDP, ACRC, and UN’s Seoul Policy Centre for their continued support and cooperation with the institution.Dissanayake also said that the CIABOC was being restructured to improve operational efficiency, with staff capacities being increased while decentralising its services to improve access to the public. He highlighted that the introduction of the electronic asset declaration system was aimed at improving transparency, efficiency, and accountability.&nbsp;

Anti-corruption efforts need to be simple and practical: CIABOC

The Department of Motor Traffic’s (DMT) e-Motoring digitalisation project remains stalled eight years after it was procured, with the department confirming that the initiative is currently in ‘silent mode’ and that it has no information on its future.The project, formally procured in 2018, was designed as a comprehensive digital platform to replace the department’s outdated manual vehicle registration system dating back to 1996. It was expected to significantly reduce corruption risks, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen institutional transparency within the DMT.DMT Acting Commissioner General Tharaka Devapriya told The Sunday Morning that the project had made no recent progress.“There is no update on the project yet. It is silent. It is being handled at the ministry level, so we at the DMT have no information.&nbsp;“The procurement was done by the ministry, it was awarded by the ministry, and the execution was done by the ministry. Therefore, whether it will continue, has been discontinued, or how it will proceed in the future must be inquired from the ministry. Currently, it is in silent mode,” Devapriya said.Multiple attempts to contact ministry officials for an update were unsuccessful by the time the newspaper went to press.The prolonged delay in implementing the project has drawn renewed attention amid an escalating investigation by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) into large-scale vehicle registration fraud.&nbsp;Multiple high-profile officials, including former commissioners, have been arrested in connection with alleged fraudulent vehicle registrations and bribery networks. The continued reliance on the legacy manual registration system has allegedly created opportunities for manipulation and irregular transactions.The controversy intensified following a meeting of the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) on 4 March. During the session, senior officials maintained that the legacy system remained operational and continued to receive updates.&nbsp;However, subsequent reports indicated that the external software vendor responsible for supporting the legacy database had discontinued its services by late 2024, leaving critical components without technical support.The failure to implement the e-Motoring system has also resulted in significant inconvenience to the public. The lack of synchronisation between the outdated vehicle registration database and other Government platforms has prevented newly registered vehicle owners from accessing essential services, including the national fuel quota system.Between 2021 and 2023, the e-Motoring project encountered major setbacks due to legal disputes, the withdrawal of a key international partner, and subsequent contract renegotiations. Although authorities reportedly resumed work on the project in 2024 after revised cost proposals were submitted for approval, the absence of any recent progress has raised fresh concerns over procurement management and administrative accountability.

DMT’s e-Motoring project still in ‘silent mode’

<ul><li>Alternative disposal arrangements in place to avoid collection disruptions: CMC</li><li>Opposition raises concerns over vehicle shortage, recurring technical faults</li></ul> The Colombo waste-to-energy plant will be shut down for 45 days for scheduled maintenance, with the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) assuring residents that alternative arrangements have been made to ensure waste collection continues without major disruption.Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Colombo Deputy Mayor Hemantha Weerakoon said: “We have been notified that the waste-to-energy plant will be shut down for repairs from 15 July. It will remain closed for 45 days.”Weerakoon explained that the plant was designed to generate around 10 MW of electricity while processing approximately 600 tonnes of waste from the CMC each day. However, the council currently supplies only around 450 tonnes daily.He acknowledged that the temporary shutdown would create logistical challenges but that the CMC had identified an alternative disposal site in Kerawalapitiya owned by the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation, where only organic and food waste would be disposed of.However, Weerakoon said that the site was already under pressure following the impact of Cyclone Ditwah: “Due to Ditwah, the waste pile has grown considerably, reducing the available space at the site. That has become a challenge.”He added that discussions were under way with the relevant authorities to increase the site’s capacity.Despite the shutdown, he maintained that waste collection across Colombo would continue with minimal disruption. “For these 45 days, we will dispose of the waste at the Kerawalapitiya site. There should not be any major disruption to waste collection. We are managing the situation.”Weerakoon added that the plant underwent an annual maintenance shutdown of around 45 days, although ageing machinery had resulted in additional operational interruptions this year. “Apart from the scheduled maintenance period, there have been several occasions since January when the plant has had to stop operations completely,” he said.Meanwhile, CMC Opposition Leader Riza Zarook of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) said that the recent operational disruptions had been caused by both scheduled maintenance and recurring technical faults. Zarook also highlighted a shortage of garbage collection vehicles, noting that several compactor trucks were undergoing repairs at present.“What we propose is that, instead of offering excuses, the Mayor and the administration should immediately hire or lease vehicles temporarily to ensure garbage is collected on schedule,” he said.Zarook added that he had been informed that the Government was preparing to allocate a temporary disposal site capable of accommodating up to 500 tonnes of waste while the plant remained out of operation.“That should address the immediate disposal issue, but the shortage of collection vehicles remains a concern,” he said.Zarook further stated that the current administration had sought approval from the Ministry of Finance to purchase four new compactor trucks and stressed that prompt action was needed to ensure uninterrupted waste collection across Colombo.&nbsp;

Colombo waste management: Waste-to-energy plant to shut for 45-day maintenance

<ul><li>PMB moves to clear old stocks ahead of paddy purchases</li><li>State releases paddy through Sathosa, fresh tenders</li><li>Farmers threaten legal action over alleged procurement delays</li></ul> The Government says it has begun clearing paddy stocks held by the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) to free up storage space for the ongoing harvest, amid concerns that warehouses filled with old stocks are delaying purchases from farmers.Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation Secretary D.P. Wickremasinghe said that around 20,000 MT of paddy held by the PMB had already been supplied to Lanka Sathosa for distribution.“Tenders have been called to sell another 60,000 MT. Out of that, tenders for 40,000 MT have already been published and the remainder will be published within the week. The stocks will be released after evaluating the bids,” he said.He added that the board was taking steps to expand storage capacity while gradually releasing existing stocks.“We are repairing and expanding our storage facilities step by step. At the moment, we are operating at full capacity. We also have to ensure there are sufficient funds to purchase paddy from farmers,” Wickremasinghe said.He noted that the PMB was selling stocks through competitive tenders and distributing paddy through Lanka Sathosa, adding that the board could not dispose of stocks at a loss because they had been purchased using public funds.“We are also carrying out internal transfers between granaries to create additional storage space. There is still some time before harvesting begins in full in several areas, so we are trying to ease the pressure before then,” the official said.The Government’s response comes after the National Agrarians’ Unity (NAU) alleged that delays in clearing PMB warehouses had prevented the timely purchase of newly harvested paddy.NAU Chairman Anuradha Tennakoon claimed that harvesting under minor irrigation schemes was now peaking in the Eastern and Northern Provinces, including Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Mullaitivu, Mannar, and Vavuniya, while farmers were struggling to sell their harvest because PMB warehouses remained full.“The PMB currently has around 120,000 MT of paddy in storage,” Tennakoon said.He alleged that delays in disposing of existing stocks had slowed fresh procurement, noting that bids for a recently issued tender were scheduled to be opened on 8 July.Tennakoon further claimed that the PMB intended to sell around 15,000 MT of paddy at approximately Rs. 100 per kilo despite purchasing it at Rs. 120 per kilo.He alleged that, after accounting for handling and operational costs, the sale would result in a loss of around Rs. 370 million, while disposing of the entire 120,000 MT of stock could result in losses exceeding Rs. 3 billion.Describing the situation as unprecedented, Tennakoon claimed that it would represent the highest percentage loss in the PMB’s 55-year history.He also criticised the Government’s guaranteed paddy prices of Rs. 120 per kg for nadu, Rs. 130 for samba, and Rs. 140 for keeri samba, arguing that they did not reflect rising production costs, including fuel, fertiliser, and labour.Warning of possible legal action, Tennakoon said that the NAU would invoke the Anti-Corruption Act No.9 of 2023 over what it alleged was the misuse of public funds if the Government failed to address the issue.Meanwhile, the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security, and Cooperative Development said that it had launched measures to strengthen paddy procurement and improve post-harvest management.Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe said that all PMB warehouses had been opened, while Lanka Sathosa and other State institutions had been instructed to accelerate paddy purchases to ensure farmers received fair prices.

Paddy procurement: Farmers agitate over PMB purchase delays

<ul><li>Cabinet approves tender for 20,000 MT of urea</li><li>Pvt. sector expected to import 85,000 MT</li></ul> Sri Lanka’s fertiliser supply chain is ramping up procurement efforts as both State agencies and private importers secure stocks ahead of the upcoming Maha cultivation season.Cabinet approved the proposal to call for tenders to procure 20,000 MT of urea for the upcoming Maha cultivation season, Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa said.The procurement comprises 10,000 MT of granular urea and 10,000 MT of prilled urea. The tender is scheduled to close on 7 July.Jayatissa said that the Department of Agriculture had estimated a total requirement of 169,635 MT of chemical fertiliser for crops cultivated during the Maha season, based on its fertiliser recommendations.Speaking to The Sunday Morning, National Fertiliser Secretariat (NFS) Director Chandana Lokuhewage said that a multi-pronged procurement programme was underway to meet the estimated seasonal requirement of 180,000 MT of urea.“Private companies are currently in discussions and have indicated that they will import approximately 85,000 MT for this season. Even the market price of urea has declined slightly,” he said.Lokuhewage also confirmed that a shipment of 12,000 MT of urea was being unloaded at present, while another 6,000 MT shipment was scheduled to arrive on 13 July.He noted that the Government typically accounted for only 10–15% of the country’s total fertiliser supply, with more than 20 private companies participating in the market.Meanwhile, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation Secretary D.P. Wickremasinghe said the fertiliser market remained highly competitive.“There are currently around 40 companies importing fertiliser into Sri Lanka,” he said. “It is not just us supplying fertiliser; the private sector imports the majority.”Approximately 800,000 hectares of paddy land are expected to be cultivated during the upcoming Maha season. In addition to paddy cultivation, urea fertiliser is required for tea, vegetables, fruits, and other crops, while maintaining adequate national fertiliser reserves.&nbsp;

Special dengue eradication drive launched across Western Pro ...

Govt. committed to equipping children with technology and skills - PM

Govt. committed to equipping c ...

Amber advisory issued for strong winds

Amber advisory issued for stro ...

Social welfare: Government plans Aswesuma cuts till ’28

Social welfare: Government pla ...

Anti-corruption efforts need to be simple and practical: CIABOC

Anti-corruption efforts need t ...

DMT’s e-Motoring project still in ‘silent mode’

DMT’s e-Motoring project still ...

Colombo waste management: Waste-to-energy plant to shut for 45-day mai ...

Colombo waste management: Wast ...

Paddy procurement: Farmers agitate over PMB purchase delays

Paddy procurement: Farmers agi ...

Fertiliser supplies: State, private sectors to import ahead of Maha

Fertiliser supplies: State, pr ...

Govt. committed to equipping children with technology and skills - PM

Govt. committed to equipping c ...

Amber advisory issued for strong winds

Amber advisory issued for stro ...

Social welfare: Government plans Aswesuma cuts till ’28

Social welfare: Government pla ...

Anti-corruption efforts need to be simple and practical: CIABOC

Anti-corruption efforts need t ...

DMT’s e-Motoring project still in ‘silent mode’

DMT’s e-Motoring project still ...

Colombo waste management: Waste-to-energy plant to shut for 45-day mai ...

Colombo waste management: Wast ...

Paddy procurement: Farmers agitate over PMB purchase delays

Paddy procurement: Farmers agi ...

Fertiliser supplies: State, private sectors to import ahead of Maha

Fertiliser supplies: State, pr ...

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Social welfare: Government plans Aswesuma cuts till ’28

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Anti-corruption efforts need to be simple and practical: CIABOC

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DMT’s e-Motoring project still in ‘silent mode’

DMT’s e-Motoring project still ...

Colombo waste management: Waste-to-energy plant to shut for 45-day mai ...

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